


Garden of Two

by Taffyberry



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29486523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taffyberry/pseuds/Taffyberry
Summary: Hades ventures into Azems private gardens to check on her after a small argument with the convocation, and there, more words get spoken than he had intended.
Relationships: Azem/Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Garden of Two

**Author's Note:**

> #emetwolvalentione2021 day 3! Prompt for Flowers. Back to Azemet! XD

It baffled Hades mind that part of Azem's rooms had been turned into a large greenhouse. 

After all, she could go where she wished to, could she not? She could see the various flowers and plants outside where they belonged, but she always insisted on bringing them back and cultivating them herself. There were a few which she had 'created' herself, and whenever he so pressed her what had inspired them, she would decline to answer anything other than they came to her in a dream. But, while he did not understand, he knew her garden made her happy and kept her busy when she was occupied in the city. He did have to admit it was impressive just how large it had become, and how she had managed to wrangle Hythlodaeus into looking after them when she wasn't there-- though she had somehow set it up that they needed minimal care. He did rather wish it wasn't so warm inside though, he wiped sweat from his brow and continued walking, looking for her.

His dearest friend had returned late the previous night from her last trip, and a meeting of the fourteen had been called immediately that morning. He sighed in annoyance thinking about it. She had, yet again, on a whim decided to interfere with the natural course of a small settlement some ways to the east. To be honest, he hadn't paid much attention when Lahabrea had lectured her this time that she couldn't keep doing it-- Azem had initially argued that one of her friends lived in the village nearby, that stopping the Tsunami was worth it. Saving any life was worth it. They had disagreed, though Hades felt this time it was at least more noble than _grapes_. Yet, after a near ten minutes of lecturing from the others, Azem had fallen silent and simply asked if there was anything else they wished with her. The meeting had not finished, and yet she excused herself after. Hades hadn't missed it, the downtrodden look on her face, the way she hunched over slightly... they had actually gotten to her, hadn't they?

So, after Lahabrea had dismissed them all, and after he had finished dealing with some issue Elidibus had brought up to him, he had decided to go looking for her. While he wanted to say it was her own fault, he couldn't bring himself to do it. That's who Azem was, after all, if they were not prone to these bouts of heroism and self sacrifice, then the seat should not have belonged to them. It should be expected of them for her to act this way, though he knew part of the issue was at times she could feel estranged from them. While plenty of them admired her, some even idolising her, very few of them had actually taken the time to talk to her properly.

Hades knew her well, and so that was why he had headed straight to her abode rather than look to see if she were in the company of their other friend. If she had argued back at length, no doubt she would have been worked up and ranting to Hythlodaeus right now, but instead the unexpected attitude-- the weariness she seemed to hold... she would keep herself alone. 

There he found her, knelt by a large bed of bright red roses she had created herself. She did not notice his approach, focused only on cutting the thorns off a stem she was holding. She'd forgotten her gloves to handle them, and he could see her fingers and palms were already cut and bloody before he even drew close and knelt beside her. She glanced at him, her eyes wide for a brief moment, before they softened. As always. He was always so struck at how she would look at him, as though she were very, very lucky. Hades rather felt it was the other way around, and yet he couldn't ever bring himself to say it out loud, because he wished not to bring it to her attention out of fear she would stop. "Hey," she whispered.

Had she been crying? He felt quite disgusted at the idea, but her red eyes and hoarse voice spoke the truth of it. He reached over and took one of the cut roses from the pile. "I don't think I'll ever quite understand your fascination with this garden," he sighed, removing the thorns from this one himself.

Azem gave him a small smile, and returned her eyes to her own hands. "Even though I created magics to look after them, and Hyth helps too--... they need me, I like that-" she broke off. "I have to come home and look after them."

He was taken back by it, and looked at her in shock. What he wanted to say was that he was another reason she should return-- that he, too, needed her. Yet the words died on his tongue before they could be uttered. "Hythlodaeus said I should get a pet or something-" she scrunched her face up. "That it would encourage me to come home more, and perhaps stop me getting into trouble."

"He's not wrong."

She glanced at him, her brows furrowed into a confused and somewhat perplexed expression. "I'm needed out there, too, you know," she said, her voice quieter than he'd heard it. He was so used to her loudness, to her almost banshee-like laugh after she had been caught playing a prank on Mitron or on Fandaniel, sometimes accompanied by Hythlodaeus if he had helped her in her latest escapade. He liked it, as much as he would complain about her disturbing him, it was what made her... well, her. Bright and loud, warm, caring, a little but clumsy if he were honest. "I know you all like things to take its natural course, but... if we can play a hand in stopping it-- for the good of life, why shouldn't we?" Azem shook her head, sounding as though she were exhausted from having this argument.

Hades decided to drop the conversation-- it was obvious she did not really want to discuss it. "I thought you would come visit last night," he said absently. He noticed her cheeks go red, and he stopped his lips from smirking. He loved being able to elicit that reaction from her. "I sensed your arrival."

"Of course you did," she said with a sigh, yet a fond smile on her lips. "Hythlodaeus is always complaining you pay more attention to me when I'm not even there, than you do him."

He laughed gently. "Well, he's not wrong."

She paused. "I just... assumed you'd be sleeping. It was late."

"I was," he said simply.

Azem looked at him in shock. To sense her return even while he slept-- and he loved to sleep, it was probably his favourite hobby. She shifted her weight on her feet and gulped down. In truth she had wanted to go to him, being apart from him was harder every time, and perhaps the reason she found herself unable to ever act upon the feelings for him which kept her company when she was away and alone. It was unfair to him, too. What if, one day, leaving was too hard-- what if she just wanted to stay with him?

"Azem?"

She snapped out of her daze and gave him a small smile. "It's nothing."

"Obviously it's not-" he half snapped, reaching over to grab her hands. "You're so distracted you forgot gloves. Look at-" he sighed, conjuring up a handkerchief to clean her hands up as best he could. 

"I've had worse."

He glanced up at her. "I know," he said curtly. He did not wish to be reminded of those worse things, of times she had returned injured. Her disregard for her own life when it came to helping others both infuriated and amazed him. That she could be so singly selfless spoke of her warmth, and yet he felt as though he would resent anything which would take her from him. He longed to tell her how he felt, to be able to hold her, kiss her. Yet they existed here, with unspoken words, in a state of pent up emotions which he didn't feel as though could be healthy but-- what was he to do?

If Hythlodaeus were here, he'd urge him to kiss her. At Hades protest, he would no doubt come up with something that, if it went wrong, it could just stay in this little garden and remain forgotten, but he knew it wasn't that simple. Things would change, and though he was certain they were both sensible enough not to let it ruin a friendship-- it was more than that. He could not, and would not allow himself, to distract her from her duty. It was much too important. 

She was much too important.

He watched her, unable to stop the warmth in his breast as she focused her gaze on his hands. 

It _could_ remain there, if it went wrong, in this garden for two.

And, so, Hades tugged her arms gently, causing her to fall against his chest. She didn't stop it, in fact her eyes closed as her head rested on his chest. "You could come home for me," he said out of the blue. She glanced up at him, eyes warm... hopeful. "I... also need you."

Azem's mouth opened, and then a smile set upon them. It would be difficult-- it was easier not to pursue this, but, she felt right then that what she needed most was this... him. Them. He let out a soft sigh, and pushed the rose he had trimmed behind her ear, and, then looked down at her. She looked as though she were inwardly fighting with herself, but--- "Azem-"

"I need you, too," she said quickly. "I want... to come home and find you waiting for me... and I want to tell you all of my stories-- I-"

The look on her face amused him, and he chuckled softly-- laughing deeply when her perplexed look turned into some form of indignant and childish anger that he would find her scrambling confession amusing. She always surprised him. Eventually she gave in, and smiled at him, keeping herself cuddled against his chest. "You know, Hythlodaeus will be insufferable for quite a while after this."

He gave her a rueful smile. "Well, perhaps we should be the ones to prank him, this time."

Azem's face lit up-- he never agreed to play pranks with her, always deeming them childish and a waste of time, and yet--....

She was incredibly lucky, she knew it, and with lack of words to express the warmness she couldn't contain for him, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek. So what if it became harder to leave him in the future, she'd just have to drag him with her, wouldn't she? Hades was too precious to her to allow him to slip away with nothing, she felt rather like they belonged to each other, that if her place had not been out in the world, then it would be by his side. And, so, she decided that perhaps part of her next adventure could have him included far more intimately than she had included someone before, and she promised him to return every time she left, always baring new stories and new wonders for him.

But, most importantly, she promised to return for him.


End file.
